In this edition:
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NC ophthalmologists are invited to join our NCSEPS YOs Facebook group, @YONCSEPS. The closed group is open to NC-based ophthalmologists, regardless of years in practice, and is provided as another way to keep our vibrant community connected.
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NCSEPS Annual Meeting, Sept. 21-22: Registration Now Open!
The 2018 NCSEPS Annual Meeting will be held at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, NC, on September 21-22. The agenda includes 9.75 hours of CME-approved educational sessions, social and networking opportunities, resident posters, and a lively exhibit hall. The program will educate and facilitate discussion on retinal dystrophies and the dawn of gene therapy, discuss potential problems occurring during cataract surgery, review new developments in the diagnosis and treatment of dry eye, and much more! The meeting will conclude with optional Retina and Oculoplastics case conferences, which are open to all registrants.
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9.75 CMEs & Excellent Faculty!
- Online Registration
- Download the Registration Brochure
- Accommodations: For room reservations, call the Grandover Resort at 800-472-6301 and mention NCSEPS to get the group rate of $185+taxes per night.
- CME Credit Statement: The Southern Regional AHEC designates this live activity for a maximum of 9.75 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
- Exhibiting Opportunities: Help ensure a successful meeting by sharing the Exhibitor Prospectus with the product and service representatives who call on your practice.
- Questions? Contact Nancy Lowe at 919-833-3836 or nlowe@ncmedsoc.org.
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Legislative Update Webinar, June 19
Since the completion of the state budget on June 1, there has been a flurry of activity on health-related bills with more to come in the days ahead. It is unclear when, exactly, legislative leaders will call for adjournment, but we do expect this year’s “short” session to wrap up well before the July 4th holiday.
Join us at 12 noon on Tuesday, June 19, to hear about the latest developments at the NC General Assembly -- including issues around the budget, Medicaid and the newly introduced HOPE Act -- from Chip Baggett, JD, NCMS Senior VP for Advocacy and Advancement.
Tuesday, June 19, 2018 ~ 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2346007458718889729
This webinar is free but you must be registered to attend. Space is limited so register early! After you register, you will receive an emailed confirmation with webinar and phone-in instructions. Continuing education credit may be granted through your professional organization (MGMA, PAHCOM, AHIMA, etc.). Please self-submit for these organizations. Presented by the North Carolina Medical Society Foundation in cooperation with the North Carolina Medical Group Management Association.
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About Chip Baggett, JD:
As Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Associate General Counsel at the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS), Chip Baggett is responsible for state level advocacy efforts (primarily focused on the NC General Assembly) as well as communications and fundraising for the NCMS and NCMS Foundation.
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Chip has a long history in organizational advancement and advocacy. He has worked in many facets of health care ranging from a children’s science and health museum to pharmaceutical sales before going to work directly for physicians and PAs as a medical society executive, first at the county level in western North Carolina and then, since 2007, at the NCMS. He consistently is ranked as one of the top lobbyists in the state by his peers. Chip received his law degree and was admitted to the North Carolina bar in 2016.
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NC HealthConnex: Are You Connected?
The June 1, 2018 deadline for hospitals, physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners with an electronic health record (EHR) system to have initiated a connection to NC HealthConnex, North Carolina’s designated statewide health information exchange network, has passed. Providers with an EHR system who did not meet this deadline can request an extension for their connection.
To request an extension, providers must:
- Complete and sign an NC HIEA Participation Agreement;
- Have NC HIEA countersign the agreement; and
- Begin the onboarding process to connect to NC HealthConnex.
Hospitals, physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners who currently do not have an EHR system must connect by June 1, 2019. For complete details, visit the NC HIEA website.
NC HealthConnex is a secure electronic network that facilitates conversations between health care providers, allowing them to access and share health-related information across the state. Created by the North Carolina General Assembly (NCGS 90-414.7), NC HealthConnex is the state-designated health information exchange. It is managed by the North Carolina Health Information Exchange Authority (NC HIEA), housed within the NC Department of Information Technology.
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NC DHHS: Fewer Opioid Prescriptions, Improved Access to Care
The NC Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that the oversupply of prescription opioids in the state is being reduced and North Carolinians' access to treatment and recovery services has increased. This data comes from a new NC DHHS-created data dashboard.
According to an NC DHHS press release, there were 20 million fewer opioid pills dispensed statewide in the fourth quarter of 2017, compared to the same period the year before when 141 million were distributed. Data also indicate more people are receiving care through medication-assisted treatment, coupled with clinical treatment services, for substance use disorder.
"The opioid data dashboard is a powerful tool for health care providers, community coalitions and everyone involved in turning the tide of the opioid crisis in North Carolina," said DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen, M.D. "While we are encouraged by these early metrics, our data show that we still have a lot of work to do."
More information, including instructions on how to use the dashboard, is available at the Opioid Action Plan Data Dashboard site. More details on the Opioid Action Plan and other steps being taken to turn the tide of opioid addiction in North Carolina are also available from the NC DHHS.
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NCMS LEAD Health Care Conference: Scientific Poster Session
The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) is pleased to announce its new and not-to-be-missed annual event – the LEAD Health Care Conference. Mark your calendar now for Oct. 18-19, 2018 to be part of this innovative conference focused on Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Discovery – LEAD. For more details, visit the LEAD Conference website.
LEAD SCIENTIFIC POSTER SESSION
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018
Due to the great success of the previous events, the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) is issuing a Call for Scientific Posters for its LEAD Health Care Conference, scheduled for October 18-19, 2018, at the Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley. The NCMS’s objective for the poster presentations is to offer medical students, residents and fellows an opportunity to share significant research and clinical work of interest with other fellow clinicians. We encourage all of our up-and-coming physicians to participate in this educational program by submission of a formal application for scientific presentation. The Poster Session will be divided into two categories: Clinical Research and Clinical Vignette.
Prizes will be awarded to the top three students, residents and fellows (first authors) in both categories.
- 1st prize=$200 per student/resident/fellow author in both categories, for a total of six awards
- 2nd prize=$100 per student/resident/fellow author in both categories, for a total of six awards
- 3rd prize=$50 per student/resident/fellow author in both categories, for a total of six awards
Learn more and apply today (PDF).
Applications and abstracts due by August 30, 2018. Questions? Please contact Nancy Lowe, CMP, nlowe@ncmedsoc.org or (919) 833-3836 ext. 111.
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AAO 2018, Oct. 27-30 - Registration Now Open!
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Practice Staff Updates
Please help us update our records. Complete this brief form to provide the name and email address of your Practice Manager so that they, too, can receive NCSEPS news and alerts.
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